The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-11-10
enough for YOU snd me Too. AID promise

| BILE
"Do not exert those spectral jaws" con-
tinued. Il cannot hear you. In your case,
| actions viii indeed speak louder than words.
| If you have taken my hint, proveit-by van
ish.ug"
So far from vanishing was he that l
fancied he settled himself little more COM
fortably in lis chair.
"You will not! Rumor has it that in your
earthly days you were gallant gentleman,
| the very pink Of courtesy. l put tito you, do
you think it quite honorable for you thus to
enter, unlimited. into lady's bedchamber at
midnight! Would any but the most immoral
of ghosts thus conduct themselves? VIII you
go PeaceablyP
More working of the spectral jaws.
you'll not go. But l say you SHALL There
is Cunard steamer to sail from Boston the
day after tomorrow; if you mount upon
some farmers wagon you can go to Plym-
outh, and there take the train for Boston.
Though the steamers are very full this sum-
mer, thereIl be room for you; perhaps you'll
find an Alden there l give you just three
days grace. If you do not go home volun-
tarily | will compel you 20 leave. All, you
sheer! You think IT'S a weak womanc
threat! Sir Rufus, when you dwelt in this
colony priests were below par; in fact /
doubt if there was even one IN this most Pu
ritan of commonwealth. Now, however, the
pendulum Of time has traversed its arc and
reached the other extreme. If you appear
here even once next week will have you
exercised! All, that startles you! Yes, know
young man, enthusiastic in all medieval lore,
who had Just entered holy orders; nothing
l,1.tn IL ;-1,4 L..
laden with all legendary lore, and at the
| solemn hour of midnight, with bell, book and
candle, he will not only curse you and lay
you, but summon up the shade of your dead
Hest foe and send him after you!"
At that instant, to my vexation, tiny ray
Of daylight shot up in the east, and every
| rooster on the place began to crow his loudest
OF course the ghost disappeared.
While we were taking our breakfast the
next morning, told Maria all about my III.
terview with Sir Rufus: her opinion of it
have already told you.
Inever saw Sir Rufus again, and perhaps
| would have forgotten all about my adven-
| ture had not my favorite nephew, Sprague
| Pemberton, been so ridiculously in love with
| little Olive Thayer. 1t seems that up to the
time he went to Scotland that summer Olive
| had been half engaged to him, waiting the
| approval Of her father, who, being in the
! navy, was not easily consulted. Before Capt.
| rhayer reached home Olive had written to
Spraguc that on no account could she again
hold any intercourse with him. that, having
| discovered his true character, she was glad
| tina. her eyes were opened before marriage,
| instead of after
| on a
his sorrow; to his Aunt Maria because she
was sentimental and could sympathize; to
ME, because | am level headed and always
ready to give sound, practical advice. He
arrived in the morning; at night, just as the
so called "line storm had risen in all its
| fury, who should drive up to our doors but
Mrs. Thayer who was an old schoolmate Of
minel and Olive! Neither party could beat
an instant retreat, not only because Of the
storm, but because there was literally no
place to go to.
| So the two young people glowered at one
another like two Kilkenny cats, while we
older ones made lame attempts to be witty
and entertaining At last Maria had a
happy thought.
"Oh, Sprugue!' she exclaimed, Il have such
joke at the expense of your Aunt Eustasial
But first must read you an extract from a
letter which | received today from your
cousin Lucy; you know she is visiting friends
in England: she says: oh, auntie, I've seen
ghOst-a real, sure enough ghost! And
what is more, this summer is the first time be
ever "walked" in Lounsberry abbey, No
| one knows who lie is or what he wants, and
all the family--all who have seen him, that
s-are much excited over his appearance.
He Is tail, fine looking man, dressed in the
costume under don't know what reign; he
fwears sword and carries his hat under his
left arm, one Of the finger is gone from his
light hand and he has long sword cut on
his right cheek. He'"-
"Why, that is my ghost!' cried Sprague,
just as | exclaimed 1.-The ghost of Sir
Rufusn
The Thayers looked up in surprise.
II say, aUntic, read it again"
And at Sprague's bidding, Maria re-read
the description
That's him!" said Sprague, positively
do you know that old buffer went over to
England in the steamer with mel Don't
laugh" Il assure him wasn't laughing), "for
| saw him as plainly as do you. Claude
telIill bunFed in with me for two nights,
Dut he didn't see him, and he limited that it
YRS q case OF snakes that | had been drink
Nc too hard, and he left me and went in with
mother chap: bit ! swear hadn't stood
the cd geDtiemau's company for three nights,
and then got some morphine from a fellow
On board, and | slept after that"
A movement on Olives part made me
glance at her; her pretty cheeks were
flushed, her eyes sparkled, her rosy lips were
parted with smile. | saw through the
whole thing at once some one had told Mrs.
rhGycr that my boy was drumkard and an
opium eater!
Your grandmother, also Lucy's, was an
Alden, and that is why he went into your
5taterooin Sprague,' said |. Il told him to
go home: when did you sail!
"Why, Eustasa," exclaimed Maria, "do you
not remember? 1t was the Thursday after
we came into this house on Monday"
$50 it was. Sir Rufus had TIE audacity to
appear to me here, and l told him to take the
next Cunarder for England, for if he didn't
I'd get Harold Powers to come here and ex-
orcise him. l suggested that there might be
one of his relations on the steamer but
never thought Of you, Sprague Well. | am
glad he is back III Lounsberry Abbey, where
ne belongs! Now, Maria, maybe YOU will
Admit that did not have nightmare on that
OCCASION said l.
TIE wind roared down the wide throated
chimney, moaned under the doors, ratified the
loose windows; the rain dashed and Laat on